


Wounded

by NightysWolf



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: After the Covenant, Altissia, Brotherhood, Comfort, Friendship, Gen, non-canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-09-05 03:26:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16802719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightysWolf/pseuds/NightysWolf
Summary: Gladiolus Amicitia had loathed hospitals and medical stations since the beginning of his life, but after the covenant in Altissia Gladio downright hated hospitals...





	Wounded

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this story before the release of Episode Ignis, hence it's not really canon anymore, but I hope you still enjoy reading it. The render for it can be found here: https://www.deviantart.com/nightyswolf/art/08-24-Wounded-718447626

Gladiolus Amicitia had loathed hospitals and medical stations since the beginning of his life. Whenever he entered one of them they reminded him of what he had lost. He couldn’t forget the moment, when his father told him, that his mother wasn‘t coming back. In that second, the air in the hospital floor had been suffocating like a cold, dark and wet blanket and the young man had literally forgotten how to breathe. He couldn’t forget Noctis’ small frame against the stark white sheets after the demon-attack that literally broke the little prince. He couldn’t forget the first time he was summoned to the medical ward, to speak with the king because the ring was taking too much on a strain on the wise ruler.

But after the covenant in Altissia Gladio downright hated hospitals.

When Prompto had called the shield of the king in the light of the rising morning, that Ignis and Noctis had been found Gladio had allowed himself one moment of relief, which had been crashed only a second later, when Prompto said that both were bad off, although each one in their own way. With is heart in his pants and the panic on his tongue, Gladio fought his way to the hospital, which had thankfully been far away from the battlegrounds with Leviathan and the empire. It was overflowing with people though. People searching for their loved ones, injured being treated, families reunited or torn apart by death. An emotional rollercoaster the whole way, when Gladio moved between the Altissians and worked his way forward to a small room where he could see Prompto standing in the hallway. He had his arms crossed in front of his chest and just couldn‘t stand still, stepping from one foot onto the other.

„Prompto,“ Gladio said with an urgent note in his voice when he reached the gunslinger. „Where are Noct and Ignis?“

Argentum wrapped his arms closer around him to hide the shaking that Gladio could see anyway. „Noct is in that room over here with the guards,“ he said. „He‘s out cold, but otherwise unharmed aside from a few scratches. The doctors assume he is just absolutely exhausted due to the strain his body has taking while the covenant.“

For whatever reason, the feeling of dread started to settle even deeper into Gladio‘s bones. „And Ignis?“

Prompto took a deep breath, but Gladio realized at once that his voice was shaking. „He‘s awake but...“ When Prompto couldn‘t finish, Gladio put his hand onto Prompto‘s shoulder.

„Go to Noct and stay with him,“ the shield of the king said. „I‘ll check on Iggy.“ The young gunman nodded, while Gladio turned towards the room, Ignis was in. What had shaken the young man like this? Gladio knocked on the door, but didn‘t wait for an answer before letting himself in. The sharp smell of desinfectants, potions, elixirs and blood was suffocating and Gladio had to keep himself from inhaling too deep. But then his eyes fell on the figure on the bed and his breath got stuck in his throat anyways.

Ignis Scientia‘s dark clothes were a stark and painful contrast to the white sheets of the bed he was lying on... and the white bandages around his head and his eyes were a painful contrast to the rest of his body. Gladio could see blotches of blood on the collar of his shirt, which obviously had been washed out but not completely. Ignis had one arm across his forehead while the other hand was buried in the sheets of the bed, as if it was needed anchor Ignis to reality. Dark tendrils of injured tissue reached out from below the bandage and marred Ignis skin. „Who goes there?“ Ignis asked and Gladio was shocked how hoarse and rough the normally smooth voice of the advisor sounded.

„Don‘t be afraid - it‘s me, Gladio,“ Amicitia said, before he approached the bed and sat down on a chair next to it.

„Gladio!“ Ignis breathed out a sigh of relief. „Are you alright?“

Gladio nodded, but then realized that with these thick bandages over his eyes, Ignis couldn‘t possibly see him. „Just a few bruises, cuts and scratches. Nothing serious.“ For a moment, the shield of the king didn‘t want to ask, but he had to. „What happened, Ignis?“

„I tried to protect Noct,“ the advisor replied. „And well, I guess some things didn‘t quite turn out the way I wanted.“

Gladio realized at once, that Ignis tried to avoid talking about it. Normally the advisor of the king was more subtle and had a better way with words, but whatever had happened to him, had taken it‘s toll on Ignis. For a short moment, Gladio was tempted to push the matter, but when his eyes wandered over Ignis pale face, half covered by bandages and the cruel looking streaks of injured flesh he decided against it. He could ask him another time. Right now, there were more important things to discuss. „Are you badly injured?“

Ignis let out a small, defeated sigh. „The doctors can‘t say for sure yet, how bad the damage to my eyes is,“ Scientia replied and resisted the urge to rub his forehead. Instead he clenched is fingers into a fist. „For now I‘m afraid I am blind.“

The realization of that fact sank into Gladio like a stone was cutting it‘s way through water. Ignis had to say it himself, for Gladio to finally wrap his mind around this undeniable fact, that his friend had lost his ability to see. For one moment, Gladio‘s mind went blank, because millions of thoughts were racing around like a thunderstorm, begging for attention yet fleeting away like a folded paper ship in the tides of Leviathan.

„Gladio?“ Ignis concerned voice brought Gladio back to he present. „I know this is a shock...“

Gladio didn‘t even let his friend end his sentence and let out a sarcastic bark. „You can say that twice. Of all things I hadn‘t expected this to happen. I can‘t understand how you can be so calm about this.“

There was a slight hesitation in Ignis voice. „I had a lot of time to think about it already,“ he finally answered.

„What are we going to do now, Iggy?“ Gladio asked with a sigh. „Altissia is a ruin, Noct is unconscious... Do you know what happened to Lady Lunafreya?“

With a painful growl Ignis buried the fingers of his one hand into the sheets once again. „She has passed,“ the strategist replied.

A silent curse escaped Gladio’s lips. „Damnit,“ he whispered. „What are we going to do now?”

"We wait until Noct wakes up and then we find ourselves a way to Niflheim."

The shield of the king snorted. "I doubt that this is going to be that easy."

A sharp hiss escaped Ignis lips. "It won't," the strategist said with a growl and Gladio could hear the pain creeping into his voice and saw that Ignis was literally clawing into the sheets with his left hand, undoubtedly to distract himself from the rising discomfort of his wounds. "But we have no alternatives."

Carefully Gladio reached forward that he didn't startle Ignis when he wrapped his hand around Ignis' clenching and clawing fingers. "Do you want me to get you a doctor?"

"No," Ignis whispered and Gladio realized that he was slipping into unconsciousness. "There is nothing they can do for me."

Ignoring the icy cold tendrils of fear and dispair which wrapped themselves around his heart, Gladio grabbed Ignis hand tighter, while the advisor lost his battle with sleep. Shoving his own aching heart to the side, Gladio concentrated on Ignis, on achoring him into this world even in his unconscious state because there was nothing else he could do otherwise.


End file.
